Monday, July 25, 2011

hola familia, I cant believe another week has flown by. wait! I feel like I say that every week. well, every week has its ups and downs. I learn so much with every day in the mission. I think I am learning patience in the midst's of a lot that is going on. patience with myself and with the work. there is so much to missionary work, it is easy to get caught up in things that aren't most important. I have to keep my head level and just focus on being a servant of the Lord for this short time I have. mom., you almost made me cry. 6 cambios scares me. nooooo. please never say that again. haha.

this week started out with a classic fall in the mud. we went to play futbol with the elders in our district and of course I cant play to save my life. so i slipped in the mud. I have a bruise on my thigh. it was way funny. it's fun to play even though i am awful. speaking of futbol. all week everyone was going crazy. the paraguayos and their futbol. the past 2 weeks were the copa america which is every 4 years. paraguay made it to the finals but lost yesterday. when there is partido, no one is in the street. and I mean no one. baren. and when they win, they don't have school the next day. I love it. finally it is over. quite the challenge to teach during partido.

yesterday we had two great investigators come to church. Domi is the neighbor of a member family which is so great. she took her to church and everything. domi loved it! also, we are teaching a joven Christian. 17 years old. he has a few interesting ideas, but wants to learn and came to church and loved it. he also came to our piano class. yup. we started teaching piano on saturday. a lot of people seem really interested so we will see. it was a bit harder than I though because I don't know music terms in spanish. haha. I will have to study up on that. well, I am out of time. I can't even express how much my time here means to me. when I feel the tingles of the spirit, when i testify of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon and the power of the atonement, I would not trade it for anything in the world. there are many who will feel the spirit and still don't accept, but I know that somewhere down the road, they will meet the missionaries again and remember that feeling. sometimes we have to plant seeds for others in the future to reap. I try to have faith and patience and just be a worthy servant. I love you all. i know the gospel of Jesus Christ is the way to live in peace and happiness now and forever. love you all so much.

Monday, July 18, 2011

hola familia, the weeks are flying by. this cambio is already almost over. ahhh. sometimes I freak at thinking that my mission is half over and that I don't have enough time, but at the same time 9 more months is a good chunck of time. so it is all good. I still have loads to learn. thanks mom for sending me emily's letters she sends home. i could relate to a lot of things she said and was an answer to my prayers in a lot of ways too. it really is amazing how hard satan works on us. if satan can’t get us to be disobedient, he goes in another door making us feel insufficient. I kind of had a break down I think the day before yesterday. I let him in a bit thinking of all the missionaries who have tons of baptisms already, and i have 1. I know that is so bad to think. you don't have to tell me, but nonetheless, I felt it. I felt like I wasn't good enough, like I am not a good missionary. I had a cry. but my Savior always carries me when i need Him. I try to focus on what preach my gospel says is a successful missionary and not numbers. all I can do is give myself to the Lord, be worthy, and work hard. I have to choose to be happy. we are in control of that. Heavenly Father always blesses me with something to keep me going. this week was the first week that we met our goal for lessons with members. members are so key to everything we do, but a bit of a challenge to get them to participate in missionary work the way they should. I was really excited about that!! woohoo. we also had a great experience with an inactive member. she wants to come back to church, but a few situations have made it a bit difficult. well, she has a new empleada, I guess that is like house help. so many people here have that. whether they have money or not. anyways, the empleada is a 17 year old from the interior who only speaks guarani. she understands mas o menos castellano, but doesnt speak spanish yet. the member translated and we were able to share with her the book of mormon. the member shared her testimony that she really does know that it is true even though she isnt practicing, but knows that she needs to go to church. the chica wants to read the book of mormon and come to church. she is so great, and I felt such a special spirit when the member shared her testimony in guarani. woohoo.

also, dad mentioned how a returned missionary spoke in church on sunday about how he knew he was the answer to the prayers of others. it is such a blessing to be instruments in the Lord´s hands. I feel that we have been able to be answers to the prayers of others a lot of times. heavenly father listens to every prayer. every fervent prayer. it doesnt matter if someone is prepared to accept the gospel or not, He answers the prayers of His childern through his servants in so many small ways. a small example is when the other day, we went to an appointment, but they weren’t there, and it was the siesta. ha. anyways, our planes de respaldo fell through too, so we were walking to another part, when we saw a super old lady, 92 years old, walking with her cane. we went to help her and found that she was headed to catch a collectivo and was praying for someone to help her reach her destination. moments so simple, but are testimonies that heavenly father knows his children. well, i am going to stop and try and send some pictures. hope it works. remember that you have to change it to jpg. it is of my district, la familia otto, and me by the lake of water in the street. that is what happens everytime it rains. well, love you all so much!. I hope you are all doing well. I miss you tons but know this is where I need to be, sharing the message of the restored gospel to brighten the hope and build the faith of heavenly father's children.

Monday, July 11, 2011

Humor fo the week - read ahead for the details of taking a shower in the streets of Asuncion/Leopardi Barrio.

Hola Familia, happy birthday Brian!! sorry I couldn't be there, but I will be there next year! that means that dad's birthday is this week. Happy Birthday DAD!

well, I learned some good lessons this week. the good news is that I finally made the cake you sent me mom. I was saving it for Nestor's baptism. I made the cake, he had his interview, the font was filled and everything, and then Saturday morning the sad news came. he said he doesn't want to be baptized yet. the night before his baptism Nestor's friends decided to tell him all sorts of things about the church that aren't even true. he decided not to be baptized because he suddenly felt really confused. before he said he felt really good about everything, that he had received his answer that he was looking for. he is so great, and wants to do what is right, but lets what others say influence him too much. it bothers me when people talk like they know what they are talking about but really don't know. Like how it is bad to be baptized again if you have already been baptized. but of course some are going to say that. they think their sprinkling of water when they are babies is baptism. Everyone needs to read Moroni 8. then tell me that babies need baptism. so it was kind of a bummer. we were able to talk to him and with the scriptures resolve every one of the doubts he had from what his friends said. the scriptures say it all. we invited him to read in the Book of Mormon again and really pray to know what is right. we can testify and share scriptures, but the conversion of a person happens when they are alone and pray fervently to know and by living the commandments. I will keep you updated.

so that was a bummer, but the Lord always provides us with miracles. like how yesterday we had really great lessons, one being with nestor. And I felt the spirit so strongly in the classes at church. to top everything off, I finished off the week with a shower in the street when some woman dumped her dirty laundry water from he second story apt directly over my head. always an adventure in the mission. haha well, I hope you are all doing well. I love and miss you all so much and think of you daily, but the Gospel is needed here in Paraguay. I have to do my part. love you!!!

Monday, July 4, 2011

hola familia, FRIO! hace frio. (It's COLD) winter has finally come and was below 0 grados the other day. i use my gloves so much. never thought i would use them. everyone tells us that we are crazy for walking around in the cold and that we need to go back to our apt and relax and watch tv or something. we just laugh a little. I guess when people don't understand why we do what we do, we might seem a bit crazy. but it is always an opportunity to share the gospel. nestor told me felicidaded for the anniversary of however many years old is the US. he knew exactly how many years it was. and i was like, huh? I had totally forgotten the independencia of my own country. It throws me off that it is cold right now. nestor is all set for his baptism this saturday! I am so excited. what a blessing to know this kid. so smart, humble and dedicated to the Lord. he has his entrevista this wednesday, and the baptism is this saturday at 5pm. please keep him in your prayers this week! he is always full of questions, but yesterday, no. he has really been able to resolve all of his doubts and feel the spirit testify that this is the true church.

mini miracle of the week. yesterday for the copa america, paraguay played against ecuador. when there is a partido, the streets are empty. especially since this is paraguay and not just a club team. all of our appointments fell through and no one wanted to listen of course because it was cold and they were watching their game. I was silently praying that heavenly father would help us find some one to teach. then we knocked the door of Ruth. she was such miracle. she is way catolica, but her reaction to the restoration was so humble. she said how she thinks la iglesia catolica is true. thinks that she is in the right, but at the same time realized that it was only because as she said, had been programmed into her head like a computer since she was a kid. she was really surprised to hear about joseph smith and said, without an invitation, I have to pray and ask God if this it true. catholics never say that. I pray she will be able to feel the spirit testify that joseph smith really was a prophet of God. we have another cita with her on wednesday! well, I love you all so much. I really truly know that this is the true church and that our Savior Jesus Christ died for our sins, but was resurrected to provide us with the opportunity to live with Him again. until next week

On Aug 11, 2010, in a BYU apartment full of friends and family, Whitney read the words "you have been called to labor in the Paraguay - Asuncion Mission." The surprise, hooting, hollering, shaking, fears, tears of joy and excitement filled the room. Then the peace and calm filled our hearts. Whitney Elizabeth Plummer has chosen to serve a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The sisters of our church serve for 18 months. During Whitney's mission she will be known as Hermana Plummer. Hermana Plummer will report to the Mission Training Center in Provo, UT on Oct. 27, 2010. While in the MTC she will learn how to be a missionary and learn the Spanish language. She will depart SLC for Asuncion Paraguay on Dec 27, 2010. Our family will be updating her website with emails and pictures. May the Lord bless you and keep you our darling, precious Whitney. We miss you already but know this is what you are to do at this tine in your life.